doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Skiving leather to .020" thickness -recoil pad

First let me say that SKB's method of cutting a groove in the buttstock to allow full seating of the leather covered pad to the buttstock, is real genius.

The covering of leather on a recoil pad is much less difficult if you will skive the leather to .020" thickness before you soak it in water. The skiving process can be tricky. Use the very best quality razor blades in your leather skiver--I use the Japanese" Feather" razor blades. Also some leather has been "tanned" with chemicals that will dull a razor blade quickly and you will have to use 2=3 razor blades to skive the leather. If you want to see how the skiving of leather is done watch this video:

Kind Regards;
Stephen Howell

I've been on a search for a skiver that isn't expensive, but haven't had much luck. any suggestions? or is that just the price of doing business?

Jim;

A Chinese copy of the German made leather skiver is available from Tandy Leather for $200.00. I bought the same Chinese skiver some years back on eBay for $90.00. These Chinese skivers require that you carefully ensure everything in the various adjustments are put right and work properly. You are a craftsman and can do it.
https://tandyleather.com/collections/machines/products/tandypro-skiving-machine.

I looked on eBay and cannot find the cheaper leather skiver, but I am going to pull up my old purchases from eBay and see if I can find who I bought my skiver from and if I do I will add it to this post.

Kind regards;
Stephen Howell

I covered quite a number of pads with Kangaroo leather and Hair Sheep leather.
It came/comes in thicknesses down to a .005/.007 thickness.
I bought it from Columbia Organ Leather in Columbia,Pa.

Their product is primarily targeted to the restoration of,,you guessed correctly ..pipe organ instruments.

The Kangaroo leather is incredibly soft and stretches as if rubber. Very easy to shape to the pad.
The Hair Sheep not quite as 'stretchy', but still very easy to work with especially at those thicknesses.

Kangaroo leather wasn't available in brown or maroon a few yrs back,,only white and black. Hair Sheep leather was avail in maroon and brown at that time.
Colors available for each leather vary.

(A Hair Sheep is a breed of sheep that doesn't grow 'wool' as you commonly see on them. Just a hair covering like most other mammals.)

Here's a price sheet from their website. It may be outdated as it's marked 2024.
You can order small amts/pieces as well as an entire skin.
Might be a helpful source anyway


https://columbiaorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/COL-Price-List-2024-Complete.pdf

under 100$

https://www.amazon.com/YaeTek-Leath...ell+skiver&qid=1775350378&sr=8-1

I bought pigskin liner leather from Traditions Leathercraft. $40 for about 15 sf

I believe they told me it was 1.5 - 2oz. I just measured and although it's not entirely uniform, the thinner parts are just under 20 thou. I think someone on here might have recommended Traditions, but I don't remember exactly.